How to check backlinks in Google Search Console? Renzo Cardozo explains it to you
A key part in the work of any SEO professional is to get other web pages to link to the site you want to position. These links, known as backlinks, help improve the site's authority in the eyes of Google, which is essential for climbing positions in search results. This is what has traditionally been known as link building. Although there are specialized tools that allow us to analyze these links in depth, this time I want to show you a free, simple and very useful alternative, especially if you are just starting out: using the data provided directly by Google. Next, we'll look at how you can check your site's backlinks using Google Search Console.
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Combine GSC with a manual review of problematic links and use Google's deauthorization feature when necessary. But do it only after a detailed analysis. Disavowing without judgment can do more harm than good.
Where are the backlinks in Google Search Console?
To access link data on your site:
- Sign in to your Google Search Console account.
- Select the website you want to review.
- In the left side menu, click Links.
Here you'll find two key sections:
👉 External links
👉 Internal links
Focus on external links, since that's where the information about backlinks is.
What information do backlinks show in GSC
The External Links section gives you access to this data:
1. Top pages with the most inbound links
Show the URLs on your site that receive the most backlinks. This helps you identify what content is most popular among other websites.
2. Domains that link to your site
List the domains that have at least one link to your website. It's useful for detecting new sources of traffic, opportunities to connect with other webmasters, or even spam.
3. Top anchor text links
It allows you to see what texts are commonly used to link to your site. If you see a lot of generic anchor text such as “click here”, it could be a sign of manipulation or lack of optimization.
⚠️ Important: The data may be delayed by a few days. The changes are not reflected in real time.
How to interpret link data
The backlink data in GSC is not as comprehensive as that of payment tools, but it does allow you to do strategic analysis.
Practical example:
If, when reviewing the data, you find that an unknown domain frequently appears as a source of links to your site, it is advisable to investigate their origin and evaluate if they really provide value. In the case of low-quality or potentially harmful links, it may be necessary to disavow them through the Google Disavow tool see the article on how to do this in Google Search Console.
In addition, it's useful to compare data from Google Search Console with data from other platforms such as Ahrefs. If, for example, Ahrefs detects thousands of backlinks while GSC only shows a few hundred, that indicates that Google is recognizing or indexing only a part of the existing links.
Practical tip based on experience
One of the most common mistakes is ignoring negative or irrelevant backlinks. Periodically check the GSC links section for anomalies. If you notice a sudden spike in links from suspicious domains or spam, act quickly.
💡 My tip: Combine GSC with a manual review of problematic links and use Google's deauthorization feature when necessary. But do it only after a detailed analysis. Disavowing without judgment can do more harm than good.
GSC limitations for backlink analysis
It's important to know that GSC has clear limitations:
- It only provides a representative sample of the backlinks.
- It doesn't include all types of links (for example, some redirects or links blocked by robots.txt don't appear).
- It does not allow filtering by DA, PA or advanced quality metrics.
That's why GSC should be used as a complement, not as a sole source of analysis. What I advise you is that for a deeper analysis you use tools such as MAKE IT TOOL
- You know the backlink trend of your domain.
- The toxicity of the links that come to your website.
- The keywords by which you are referred to from other websites.
- The number of referring domains that point to your site.
- The countries with the most intersections that “look” at your site.
Checking backlinks in Google Search Console is a simple but fundamental task. It helps you understand which sites are citing your content, what your strongest sources are, and what links might need attention.
Don't underestimate this tool. Despite its limitations, it offers a direct view from the most important search engine. Use it regularly, combine it with other tools and adjust your strategy based on the real data provided by Google.
Do you want to improve your backlink profile? Start by reviewing what you already have in GSC.
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